Vaisampayana continued,—­“Thereupon
that worshipful one said,—­’I give
thee this boon! Good betide thee! O thou
that are like unto an immortal, ask thou a fresh boon!’
Yudhishthira said,—­’We have spent
these twelve years in the forest; and the thirteenth
year is come. May no one recognise us, as we
spend this year somewhere.’”

Vaisampayana continued,—­’Thereat
that worshipful one replied,—­’I give
this boon unto thee!’ And then reassuring Kunti’s
son having truth for prowess, he also said, ’Even
if, O Bharata, ye range this (entire) earth in your
proper forms none in the three worlds shall recognise
you. Ye perpetuators of the Kuru race, through
my grace, ye will spend this thirteenth year, secretly
and unrecognised, in Virata’s kingdom! And
every one of you will be able at will to assume any
form he likes! Do ye now present the Brahmana
with his fire-sticks. It was only to test you
that I carried them away in the form of a deer!
O amiable Yudhishthira, do thou ask for another boon
that thou mayst like! I will confer it on thee.
O foremost of men, I have not yet been satisfied by
granting boons to thee! Do thou my son, accept
a third boon that is great and incomparable!
Thou, O king, art born of me, and Vidura of portion
or mine!” Thereat Yudhishthira said,—­’It
is enough that I have beheld thee with my senses,
eternal God of gods as thou art! O father, whatever
boon thou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept
gladly! May I, O lord, always conquer covetousness
and folly and anger, and may my mind be ever devoted
to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities!’
The Lord of justice said,—­’Even by
nature, O Pandava, hast thou been endued with these
qualities, for thou art the Lord of justice himself!
Do thou again attain what thou asked for!’”

Vaisampayana continued,—­“Having said
these words, the worshipful Lord of justice, who is
the object of contemplation of all the worlds, vanished
therefrom; and the high-souled Pandavas after they
had slept sweetly were united with one another.
And their fatigue dispelled, those heroes returned
to the hermitage, and gave back that Brahmana his
firesticks. That man who pursueth this illustrious
and fame-enhancing story of the revival (of the Pandavas)
and the meeting of father and son (Dharma and Yudhishthira),
obtaineth perfect tranquillity of mind, and sons and
grandsons, and also a life extending over a hundred
years! And the mind of that man that layeth this
story to heart, never delighteth in unrighteousness,
or in disunion among friends, or misappropriation of
other person’s property, or staining other people’s
wives, or in foul thoughts!”